HKWM | Chapter 32

This trip was so far away that we had to use magic to move, so the preparations didn’t take long. Unlike our outings to the capital, there was no need to hire a carriage or mercenaries for disguise.

Noah was wearing a thin coat that reached down to his knees, gently touching the sleeves’ ends. The thin coat, gloves, and scarf were all artifacts meant to shield against cold and heat, but it seemed he hadn’t quite gotten used to the sensation yet. Of course, if I hadn’t felt the mana from the coat, I would have doubted if such thin material could really block the cold.

“Did you pack everything?”

“Yes.”

“Then let’s go.”

I took Noah’s hand, along with the two demons who had clung to me saying they’d conserve demonic power, and we crossed space.

As soon as we arrived at the viscounty, thick snowflakes and fierce cold winds greeted us. Even though I couldn’t feel the cold, out of old human habits, I instinctively pulled my coat tighter. I checked if Noah’s artifact was working properly.

“Noah, aren’t you cold?”

“No, I’m okay.”

Since his nose, which would turn red first if he were cold, looked fine, I guessed he wasn’t lying. Only then did I look around.

The white scenery filling my sight made me momentarily think we had come to another world. The Lloyd Viscounty rarely sees snow even in the dead of winter, and even when it does, it never piles up to paint the landscape white.

Noah, who had been staring at the sky, took off his artifact gloves and held out his palm. The snowflake that landed on his small hand disappeared in the brief moment he opened and closed his fist.

“Noah, have you ever seen snow for real?”

“No, this is my first time.”

“What do you think?”

“It’s cold. Everything’s so white, it’s blinding…”

While Noah was enjoying the snow, I whispered to the two demons.

“You guys find the most expensive and decent accommodation first.”

“Understood.”

While the demons left to look for lodging, I hid slightly out of Noah’s sight, scooping up the snow that had piled up on the ground and forming it into a round ball. Even with bare hands, it didn’t feel that cold, probably because of the demon’s sturdy constitution.

“Noah, look at this.”

The moment Noah turned his head towards me, I threw the snowball. It hit him squarely in the face before crumbling and falling. Seeing Noah blinking with a dazed expression, I burst into laughter.

“This is called a snowball fight.”

“…Snow, fight?”

“Yeah.”

Noah seemed confused because the term ‘fight’ sounded too cute for what it was. Even if you packed the snow as hard as you could, it wouldn’t hurt unless you put a stone in it.

I quickly formed another snowball and threw it. Noah dodged reflexively, then followed suit by throwing one back at me. That’s when a very one-sided snowball fight began. No matter how impressive Noah’s physical abilities were, he was still just a child compared to an Archdemon like me.

“Ha ha ha-!”

In the end, while I stayed dry from head to toe, Noah was completely soaked. He pouted his lower lip briefly before bursting into laughter.

“That’s not fair. You didn’t let me hit you even once.”

“Who gives a break in a fight?”

“I’ll win next time.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

Even if it were any kind of fight, it’d be hard for you to beat me even in a hundred years.

Instead of a snowball fight, we spent some time making a small snowman. Soon, the two demons returned, having found our accommodation. Although we wouldn’t catch a cold thanks to the artifacts, being sopping wet was uncomfortable, so we decided to move to the lodging first.

“Noah, go wash up first. Then we’ll head to see the Spirit Forest.”

“Okay.”

After Noah went into the bathroom and I heard the sound of water, I calculated the coordinates I had memorized beforehand. While I was doing this, Phoras, who was organizing the luggage, asked me.

“Where are you going?”

“To the Spirit Forest.”

“Weren’t you going with the young master?”

“I am, but I thought I’d go there first. Noah seems to be looking forward to the flower shower, so why not see it since we’re here?”

“But if the spirit is absent, it’ll be hard to see the flower shower.”

“I was planning to negotiate with the deer spirit that’s supposedly there. If it shows us the flower shower, I’ll promise not to cause any trouble and leave quietly.”

My nonchalant answer made Phoras’s face turn pale. Of course, I had no intention of actually causing any damage if refused.

“That’s not negotiation, that’s a threat…”

“Anyway, I’ll be back.”

Leaving behind a frightened Phoras and a calm Kimaris who wouldn’t be fazed even if I turned the heavens upside down, I stepped into space. It felt like my demonic energy was draining quickly, probably because this was the human world, but it wasn’t excessive yet.

When I returned from the Spirit Forest, having completed my task, Noah had finished his bath and changed into new clothes. Phoras, knowing what I had done, gave an awkward smile.

“While you two visit the Spirit Forest, Kimaris and I will look around the domain.”

“Sure, find a place to eat too.”

“Yes.”

Having subordinates certainly makes things easier. I could now understand why Lust was so shocked when I said I had no followers. With this new realization, I took Noah’s hand and crossed space once more.

We arrived in the middle of a flower garden. Although within the viscounty, instead of white snow, colorful flower petals were swirling in the air. Noah looked around with wide eyes, walking slowly.

“Is this… the Spirit Forest?”

“Yeah, this must be what they call a flower shower. How do you like it?”

I felt a bit awkward while speaking because the flower shower was a bit excessive, probably because the spirit was nervous due to my threats. However, it was undeniably a beautiful sight, rare to see anywhere.

Amidst the petals, Noah’s small laughter reached me. A gust of wind cleared the petals, revealing Noah, and our eyes met in the now-empty space. The smile on Noah’s face faded into a strange light as he looked at me.

We just stared at each other for a while. The silence was so profound that it felt like time had stopped. It was Noah who broke the long silence.

“…Jin, do you have any magic that can turn back time?”

“No, even a celestial god can’t do that.”

“I see.”

“Why?”

“…Just wondering.”

Noah often used “just” to gloss over things hard to explain. It was a vague yet fitting word, but somehow, today, it felt lacking.

We spent more time looking at each other under the flower shower.

When we returned from the Spirit Forest, the sun was setting, and if we went out to wander around and then into a restaurant, we’d hit dinnertime just right. While pondering where to look first, Phoras handed me a pamphlet.

“There’s a festival going on right now, so there’s quite a bit to see. Given the time, you could watch the vinum competition or ice fishing right away.”

“vinum?”

“It’s a local liquor, considered a demon’s drink among humans for how strong it is.”

For people who fear demons, they sure come up with interesting names. If it’s a competition, is it about who can drink the most in a set time? We’d know once we saw it, so I reached out my hand to Noah.

“Let’s go watch.”

“Okay.”

Even though the sky was darkening outside, the streets were still crowded with people out to enjoy the festival. We moved towards where the vinum competition was being held, looking at the stalls lined up.

Most people were bundled up to combat the cold, but occasionally, some were walking around in clothes as thin as ours. Not feeling any mana, they weren’t wearing artifacts but were probably just used to the cold, likely locals.

“That’s why they say humans are creatures of adaptation.”

“Huh?”

“They’re walking around in those thin clothes.”

While humans here were strong against the cold, they must be weak against heat, but adapting to this level of cold was impressive. It made it fun to distinguish between locals and outsiders just by their clothing.

The competition venue wasn’t far from our lodging. A long stage made of wood with tables stretched out, beside which were stacks of bottles that must be the vinum. The event felt more like a casual party than a serious competition.

“Are you going to participate, Jin?”

I actually had no intention of participating. I never really enjoyed drinking even when I was human, and aside from that, my conscience pricked me. No matter how strong a drink, it’s just like water to a demon.

Just as I was about to say no, I spotted the prize for the competition. Displayed on one side was a snow globe the size of a small child’s head, with a miniature of the viscounty’s castle inside. It seemed perfect as a souvenir from our first trip, and with that thought, my conscience vanished, and a different answer came out of my mouth.

“Yeah.”

“Really?”

“No, Kimaris will.”

Kimaris looked at me in surprise. Actually, I could have participated, but if we were going to win, the tall and bulky Kimaris would draw less attention. People generally think those with bigger builds can drink more.

I patted Kimaris on the shoulder.

“Kimaris, I’m counting on you. You can win, right?”

“As you command.”

Even with my ridiculous request, Kimaris walked towards the competition stage without any sign of discomfort. Come to think of it, the only time he ever objected to my orders was when I asked him to pretend to be my lover.

‘That still irks me…’